A Very Potter Christmas
by Mycroft-mione
Summary: Harry and Ginny want nothing more than to make this Christmas the best one ever. Meanwhile, little Albus is making a discovery about himself... (A five-part Christmas special.)


**A Very Potter Christmas**

* * *

Harry grew a new appreciation for the convenience of magic as a few flicks of his wand gracefully draped twinkle lights in circles around the Christmas tree. He remembered struggling with massive tangles and teetering stepladders as an eleven-year-old in the Dursley household - sans magic, of course. It had all been a chore to him back then, but now he found true pleasure in preparing for the holiday season.

In the kitchen, Ginny was icing cookies with James. The little boy gleefully smeared spoonfuls of colored sugar onto each one, although his mother carefully vanished the excess when his back was turned.

Meanwhile, Lily and Albus sat upstairs on bunk beds, supposedly discussing presents for the rest of the family. Harry, however, was certain that vicious pillow fights were taking place instead.

A Weird Sisters song was playing on the radio... Ginny's choice, not Harry's.

"Harry, have you got the spare room ready?" she asked a few minutes later in a conversational tone of voice. The second her back was turned, James stole a still-warm cookie and fled to join his siblings.

"What? Why do we need to get the sp-" Harry began.

"Come with me," she interjected, grabbing him the arm and rolling her eyes.

When they arrived there a few moments later, she looked back and forth to confirm that the hall was clear of spying children, then addressed him, laughing. "That was parenting code, you _idiot_. Presents?"

"Right," Harry replied, although he vowed to complain to Ron the next time they met. Why couldn't women ever say things plainly? "I've got them in the hall closet, disguised as spare towels."

"And the package from Luna?" she pressed.

"In our room. It's the poinsettia that's sitting on the side table."

" _Harry_! I cut trimmings of that to send to my parents!"

He winced. "Erm, sorry... Thought it would be a natural addition."

She sighed. "Nah, it's all right, I'll just do _finite_ _incantatum_ , it'll come back together." Taking his hand, she added, "I'm glad you're getting into Christmas this year, at least. Since when have you ever done more than put up with Celestina Warbeck and the shopping and everything?"

"I've always been plenty jolly..."

"No you haven't, last year I caught you charming the signs outside to say 'Be Happy Giftless' instead of 'Merry Christmas.'"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted. "I just want it to be a nice holiday for James and Albus and Lily."

"Well whatever's changed, I like it." She kissed him softly - she tasted of vanilla and spice.

"We'd better go, eventually James will wonder what's the matter with the spare room," he commented after they had broken away. She grinned in return, and they tiptoed out, closing the door quietly behind them.

* * *

Ginny left the room and turned right to go to the foyer, while Harry chose left and the sitting room, where Ginny assumed he planned to finish dressing the tree with garlands and ornaments. Grabbing her wand from the side table, she turned in place, vanishing from the Potter house and reappearing on the Weasley-Granger doorstep.

"Hi, Ginny," said an automated voice that sounded a lot like Hermione's. "Come on in."

She turned the doorknob and entered, not bothering to take off her scuffed red trainers by the door.

"Nice welcome," she remarked to thin air.

"Oh, did you like it? I've been developing a new visual identification system for the Ministry," called Hermione, panting as she chased Hugo around the house. Ginny could tell after a few laps of this that he was clutching _The Daily Prophet_ , wadded up into a ball.

She watched the struggle for a few minutes, before yelling back, "Hey, why not get him with _Accio_?"

Her wand lit up at the tip, even though it rested in her pocket. The accidental spell sent Hugo shooting towards her, who caught him deftly and gave him a hug.

"Where's the fun in that?" asked Ron, coming down the stairs two at a time. "Hi, Gin."

Meanwhile, Ginny had used the hug to relinquish the newspaper from Hugo's chubby fingers. Handing it back to Hermione, she said, "I expect Ron was the one watching Hugo at the time?"

"I step away for one second-" Ron interjected.

"Obviously."

The adults filed into the sitting room. Even if she hadn't visited countless times before, Ginny could have recognized the effect her brother and sister-in-law best friend had on a room. Books were stacked floor to ceiling, with scraps of parchment marking pages here and there. A corner was filled with joke store merchandise, relics of Ron and George's past with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, now playthings for Rose and Hugo. Two sofas were placed in the center of the room, where the trio sat.

"Oh, by the way, here's our gift for your lot," said Ron, picking up a box of wizard sweets emblazoned with the Honeydukes logo.

"Thanks. I'll have Rose's and Hugo's soon, Harry sent for them by Owl Order and it might take a few more days to arrive."

"No rush," Hermione replied, "but there's more, I also got this." She held up a blue stuffed animal with purple polka dots that Ginny didn't recognize. She accepted it, and was about to ask what it was when Ron interrupted.

"'Mione, we said we weren't going to give that, it's not wizarding-"

"Exactly! There are good Muggle toys out there, all people need is awareness of the options and a willingness to experiment-"

"What does it do? Just sit there?"

Ginny, feeling awkward with the fighting, decided to interupt. "I'm sure they'll love it, 'Mione, thanks."

"No problem."

"Anyway, I'd better be getting back, I've no idea what James is getting up to back home and I'm slightly worried."

Ron grinned. "You mean what Harry's getting up to while the kids are responsible and safe?"

Ginny sighed. "True. Well, bye then." She was gathering up her new acquisitions and preparing to Disapparate when Hermione spoke again.

"Oh, I forgot - it's called a dinosaur!"

"Die-no-sore," repeated Ginny slowly as she vanished.

* * *

James raced to the closet and opened the door, pulling out his favorite possession by the twig tail. It felt warm to his touch, warmer than it should have been, sitting in a drafty closet for hours. He smiled at the feel of magic flowing through his palms into the broomstick.

"Go!" he exclaimed, to which the broom leapt into the air, parallel to the floor. As he swung a short leg over the wooden handle, he saw his brother watching from the door.

"Wish I could do that," Albus said wistfully.

"You can... after I'm done!" James laughed and shot into the hall, knocking down a photo as he went. But before he went out of sight, he swung around and returned to where Albus was still standing. James was confused.

"Wait, I thought you never wanted to, I've asked you loads of times and you always said no," he said, rumpling his eyebrows.

"I can't."

"Yes you can, there's two in the closet and Lily's too little." James paused, thinking out the situation in his head. "And even if she was big enough, she's off with Mum," he reasoned. "C'mon!"

"I can't!"

James hopped off his toy broomstick and folded his arms. "Why not?"

"Because..." Albus paused, widening his eyes as looked up at his brother... "I don't know how."

James laughed. "You just get on, silly. Like this!" And he got back on the broom, rotating in a circle for Albus's benefit.

"No, it doesn't work for me, you see?" said Albus, shoving James off the broom gently (with some effort) and holding it in his small hands. Nothing happened. When James took it back, the warmth flared up in his hand, so he could tell it had been cold before.

James was confused... again. "But you're magical! You've done magic!" He tried to think of times he had seen his little brother do anything extraordinary. "I mean, not a lot, but the only time it has to show itself is my age, right before Hogwarts, and anyway Dad said you moved those stones in the path with your mind, remember?"

Albus bit his lip. "I tripped... and kicked the stone ahead of me by mistake, only Dad thought it was magic, and he was really impressed. I didn't want to disappoint him." He sat down in the window seat, looking dejected. There was a short awkward pause, but James hurriedly ended it.

"Oh. Well that's okay, I bet you'll do something magic soon. I heard Victoire was like a Muggle until a few years ago!"

"Yeah..." replied Albus.

James thought of something suddenly. He got a mischievous look on his face.

"You're a squib! You're a squib!" he chanted, giggling.

Albus got up and stomped over to his brother. "Am _not_!"

"Are _too_!"

"That's not a nice thing to say," muttered Albus.

"Yes it is, we met Mrs. Figg and she's a Squib and she's all right... except for the cats."

"She made me feed _all_ of them, while she chased them around the house in that... wheel care? Real chair? Oh, _wheel-chair_! And Mum and Dad told me about Filch, that scary old man that was at Hogwarts, and he was a Squib!" Albus stopped to draw breath. "And I'm _not_ a Squib!"

"Sorry," said James sincerely. He shuddered. "They're weird, but anyway you're not like them. I bet you're _extra_ magical, so magical no one else can even detect your magical-ness!"

They laughed together. "Okay," said Albus. He smiled.

* * *

Albus spent the afternoon chasing James around the house, telling him tricks to do on the broomstick. Together, they ducked and soared and laughed, both of them.

December flew by, until Christmas was so near Albus couldn't contain his excitement. Like most kids, he entertained himself during the hectic season by searching for his presents around the house.

Albus woke up one Saturday morning with nothing to do, having already exhausted the usual gingerbread-house-making, obnoxious caroling, and messing around with Dad's wand. He couldn't even go outside, because the temperatures refused to sink below 50 degrees - no snow! So he began an epic quest.

He would be like a secret agent and find his presents early, so that on Christmas, he could 'guess' his presents before he opened them and everyone would be really impressed!

Albus began by searching the living room, kitchen, and all the bathrooms. (He didn't really think anything would be in the bathrooms, but you never know.) _Nothing_. He looked left and right, and then he crept to the basement, where he found only old books and things. _Boring_. Unsuccessful and frustrated, but in love with the thrill of the chase, Albus decided to be really sneaky... he would go to his parents room! He was scared they had placed a charm on the door, but it was unlocked.

He turned the knob silently, standing on his tiptoes, and then peered around. There was nothing interesting in the room, just a potted plant with big red flowers, and... _Ooh, a locked cabinet_! thought Albus. It was his best chance of finding something secret.

Soon Albus remembered that locked cabinets were only fun if you had the key. Every minute of struggling he spent, he felt less like a secret agent and more like a fool.

" _Now_ I wish I had magic," he said to himself, frowning. A few more feeble shakes of the door, and he gave up. After a full day of searching, he was really tired, so he ate dinner with his parents and brother and sister and went to bed. Mum tucked him in.

But Albus couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about not finding his presents. _If I had magic, I would have found something_ , he thought, dismayed. _It's not fair_. He almost started to cry out of frustration. And in a little corner of his mind, he was also afraid that what James had said all those days ago was true. _Maybe I_ am _a Squib_.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from the other room. Albus clutched his sheets tighter around him. Then, he felt an odd sensation in his hands. They felt almos farm, like warm water was running over them - but his hands were dry. Then, he blinked, and when he opened his eyes, there was a stuffed animal next to him in his bed.

It was light blue, with purple polka dots, or maybe they were black, Albus couldn't tell in the dark. But he doubted that seeing in the light would help him identify what animal it was meant to be.

"Are you my present?" he whispered. There was no answer, but Albus took this as a yes. "I love you already!" He smiled in the dark at his new friend as he fell asleep.

Only the next day, when he woke to see the stuffed animal gone, did he wonder how it had found him the night before. There was no explanation - one moment he was alone, the next it was there beside him.

The moment of wonder repeated itself for a week, and every night Albus cuddled with his present. When, on the seventh night, he actually saw the creature float toward him, twirling and spiraling through the air, he knew that his magic had finally arrived.

* * *

Lily woke up on Christmas morning, groggy but excited, prodded by her brothers at 6:00 A.M.

They ran down the stairs, while Lily pouted and gave up, moving at her own pace. _Meanies_. Didn't they know she had short legs?

But they all met together in the living room, where James whispered too loudly, "Wow." The tree was beautiful, covered in twinkly lights and round ornaments every color imaginable, and even candy canes! And underneath there was a pile of presents for everyone. Lily found her own name on four wrapped gifts and showed her brothers, proud for knowing the letters so well. Finally, Mummy and Daddy came downstairs, looking tired but happy.

Lily got to open a present that was "for everyone," even though it had her name on the pretty color-changing label, and it was a box of Honeydukes sweets!

Mummy got a handwritten gift certificate from Daddy, but after Mummy blushed while reading it, they wouldn't tell what it said. Lily thought that was stupid, and sulked, but soon returned to presents!

Albus opened a lumpy box, and out came a weird stuffed animal that was light blue with purple polka dots. It wasn't a dragon, and it wasn't a bunny (Lily's favorite animals), so she was puzzled, but Albus hugged it as soon as he opened it.

"What's that?" Lily asked, tilting her head sideways.

"It's called a die-no-sore," said Mummy.

"A dinosaur," said Daddy, laughing.

"How'd you know that?" asked James.

"I lived with Muggles when I was your age, remember?" said Daddy. "Well, my cousin had a big room where he kept his toys, and there was a book about dinosaurs he never touched. So I took it and read it one day. That-" he pointed at the weird animal- "is called a T. Rex."

"All I know is, it's mine," said Albus, hugging it to him. Then he let it go, and Lily watched as it floated up in the air, doing flips and dives over her brother's head.

"Whoooaa," said Lily. It was so cool, but she had no clue how he was doing it. She wanted one like that too!

"But Hermione told me that was a Muggle toy," said Mummy, confused, looking at Daddy. He shook his head, which Lily guessed meant, 'I don't know either.'

"It's me - I'm doing it myself, I think," Albus told them, grinning.

James leapt onto him and tackled him in a hug. "Wow! You did it! That's better than anything I've ever done!"

Everyone was really happy for Albus. Lily was too, although she was sad that she was the only one who hadn't done cool magic yet. But she was only six. There was time, almost six more years until she started at Hogwarts!

They all took a turn holding the dinosaur, but only Albus could make it float with magic and no wand. That night, they sat in front of the fireplace, which Mummy had charmed to change colors and make pretty shapes. As they talked, and ate Christmas pudding, Lily found herself happy all of a sudden. Christmas was _great_.

"Merry Christmas," she said, smiling as the snow began to fall.


End file.
